An article analyzing 12 clinical trials of Vitamin D supplementation for hip fracture prevention in people over 65, was recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. 

The major finding was that fracture prevention was dependent on how much Vitamin D was taken. Higher doses meant reduction of fractures by “at least” 20% for the individuals 65-and-over who were studied.

Higher doses in the case of this article meant merely more than 400 Units per day!  Of great interest to me was that the effect of the vitamin D on fractures was independent of the patient taking additional calcium.

I have to wonder what would happen if every nursing home in America gave their patients 1000-2000IU of Vitamin D every day! For as we know other aspects of seniors health is also connected with low vitamin D. The bottom line for my readers is be sure you and your parents are taking vitamin D every day.

Reference  

Vitamin D levels, in fact, absolutely predicted how well a patient will respond to steroid asthma medications. The lower the Vitamin D level, the worse the patient does on the medications.

In patients with blood levels of Vitamin D below 30 nanograms per milliliter, airway hyper-responsiveness, a key symptom of asthma, was almost double that of those with higher levels of Vitamin D.

The evidence provided by this study shows that Vitamin D supplementation may help improve asthma sufferers’ conditions in a number of ways.

 The lead researcher, Dr E. Rand Sutherland stated "our findings suggest that low vitamin D levels are associated with worse asthma." Low Vitamin D levels were also associated with a worse response to this in which the standard treatment for asthma today.

My colleague and leading vitamin D researcher, Dr. Michael F. Holick, who is the director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine, commented on the study.He points out that “glucocorticoids (steroids) increase the destruction of Vitamin D, thus making patients with asthma at higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency, which in turn decreases lung function and makes their disease worse.”

 Once again we have the bottom line that all of us need to normalize and optimize their vitamin D levels, and in this case certainly all people with asthma especially if they are on steroid inhalers need to have their blood levels checked regularly.

The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

The purpose of the seminar was to help people learn how to maintain optimum health through education on the necessary screening tests that are crucial in different stages in life.

While leading our busy and stressful lives, we tend to ignore symptoms that could end up in serious illnesses.  We wait until the disease is advanced or irreversible.  If everyone would get regular medical checkups, several illnesses could be avoided.

I enjoyed sitting on a panel with several other distinguished guests including:

• Sandy Brewer, Ph.D.: Inspirational speaker, therapist, coach, humanitarian and Author of “Pursuit of light, an extraordinary journey”.
• Gary Cohan, M.D.: Internist, researcher, radio talk show host, political commentator and lecturer. He pioneered work in Primary Care Medicine and HIV Medicine.
• Sheila Kar, M.D.: Assistant Clinical Prof. of Medicine and Clinical Chief of Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.
• Jack Lewin, M.D.: Chief Executive officer of the American College of Cardiology, he is a physician, experienced association leader, and a public policy expert and veteran health care advocate.
• Judith Reichman, M.D.:  Gynecologist and Women’s Health expert, medical contributor on women’s health for the NBC Today Show and author of several bestsellers on Women’s Health issues.
   

Together we discussed the safety, efficacy and drug interactions of complementary medicine.  And we also had a lively discussion on the proposed health plan as we see it.

Today’s tight economy has led people to resort to natural remedies to stay healthy, and this event brought together many people who wanted to learn more about doing just that!

Below are some photos from the event.

Dr Soram

[View with PicLens]

Click the arrow to start the video from ABC News 

I will be giving a lecture titled "The Vitamin D Revolution" –not a shock that that is my topic! I will be talking about the Vitamin D issues that we know must be everywhere in Africa.

I hope to see you there

 Click Here to Download the Brochure 

The title of the seminar is Heart Protection Seminar Featuring "I feel fine. so why do I need a check up?"

 I will be on a panel of distinguished experts talking about Preventive Heart health and Preventive Medicine in general.

I am delighted to be representing Integrative Medicine on this panel.

Click here to download a brochure so you can attend!

Click Here to Download the Brochure 

angioneogenesis: the process of creating new blood vessels. Cancer cells do this to support their growth.

apoptosis: a type of programmed cell death. Cancer cells lose the ability to program death this helps them to grow uncontrollably.

autocrine: the process whereby a cell makes its own chemical messenger (in this case, activated Vitamin D), that bind to receptors inside the same cell and lead to changes in the biochemical functioning of the cell.

blood level: the amount of Vitamin D in the form of 25D (calcidiol) that circulates in the blood. It is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) (or an alternate measure , nanomoles per Litre (nmol/L)) . According to literature referenced in this book, the current “normal” levels for 25D is above 30 ng/ml with 40—70 ng/ml being optimal. Vitamin D blood levels should be tested with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test.

bone mineral density (BMD): the amount of mineral content (calcium) in the bone.

calcidiol: also known as 25D in this book. It is a prehormone made from Vitamin D3 in the blood. This is the form of Vitamin D that must be tested with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test.

calcitriol: see activated vitamin D.

calcium: a mineral necessary for the development of healthy bones. Adequate levels of Vitamin D are necessary to facilitate calcium absorption.

cholecalciferol: known as Vitamin D3 in this book. It is the raw material from which all potent forms of Vitamin D are produced in the body. It is naturally produced in the skin of humans and animals when UVB sunlight hits the skin.

congestive heart failure (CHF): a weakened condition of the heart muscle, impairing its ability to pump blood.

diabetes mellitus: a metabolic disorder , characterized by excess glucose in the blood. It is usually caused by insufficient insulin to carry the glucose into the cells.

endocrine: the process whereby one organ will secrete a molecule (e.g., a hormone) into the bloodstream or lymphatic system, that has an effect on another distant organ, in a different part of the body.

epidemic: an outbreak of illness or disease affecting a large number of people at the same time at unexpected rates.

epidemiological: used to refer to studies that look at the distribution, incidence and cause of disease in specific populations.

ergocalciferol: also known as Vitamin D2, a form of Vitamin D manufactured from plants and fungi. It does not occur naturally in humans and is significantly less potent than naturally occurring Vitamin D3. This form of Vitamin D not recommended for the optimization of Vitamin D levels.

hypertension: another term for high blood pressure.

immune system: the body’s complex mechanism of cells and organs that serve to protect the body from infection with bacteria, parasites, and viruses.

international unit (IU): a unit of measurement based on an accepted standard and based on biological activity of the substance. The IU for Vitamin D is unique to this substance—for example 100 IU of Vitamin D does not equal 100 IU of Vitamin E. 1,000 IU of Vitamin D equals 0.025 nanograms or 25 micrograms (mcg) of Vitamin D.

macrophage: a type of white blood cell that is an important part of the immune response that helps destroy protozoa, bacteria and cancer cells.

malignant: usually used as a synonym for cancer. As in “Malignant tumor”

metastasis: describes the spread of cancer cells through the bloodstream or lymphatic system into other tissues and organs.

minimal erythemal dose (MED): the amount of sun or UV exposure necessary to turn the skin pink in a fair-skinned person.

multiple sclerosis (MS): a degenerative, most likely, autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system; specifically the myelin that protects the brain and the spinal cord.

nanograms/milliliter (ng/ml): one unit of measurement for the amount of activated Vitamin D in the blood.

nanomoles/litre (nmol/L): another unit of measurement for the amount of activated Vitamin D in the blood. To convert ng/ml to nmol/L multiply by 2.5. (40 ng/ml = 100 nmol/L.)

neuromuscular: having to do with both the nerves and the muscle tissue.

NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys designed to gather health and nutritional information from people from the U.S. for the purpose of medical research, and improving the health of the country.

osteomalacia: known as adult rickets. When adult bones rebuild they do not harden properly resulting in weaker, softer bones. Osteomalacia is associated with deep musculoskeletal pain, and often can be mistaken for fibromyalgia.

osteoporosis: a disease in which the bones do not rebuild as fast as they are broken down and the result is weak, porous bones which are susceptible to fracture. A fracture may be the first indication of this painless disease.

prehormone: a substance secreted by the glands which has little or no biological activity by itself.

recommended daily allowance (RDA): the amount of a nutrient that is deemed necessary to maintain health. The recommendations are made by the Food and Nutrition Board, a unit of the Institute of Medicine, which is part of The National Academy of Sciences. The amounts recommended are intended to meet the nutritional requirements of the vast majority of the healthy population of the U.S.

seasonal affective disorder (SAD): a form of depression that occurs seasonally in the winter months and is associated with low levels of sunlight. It is sometimes referred to as the “winter blues.” Other symptoms of SAD include anxiety, fatigue, headaches, and sleep problems.

secosteroid: a molecule that has a similar structure to a steroid. Vitamin D is our body’s most important secosteroid.

steroid hormone: an important type of hormone that can stimulate receptor molecules and affect gene expression. Steroid molecules have a specific molecular structure that qualifies them to be a steroid.

tuberculosis (TB): a contagious, potentially fatal disease caused by bacteria that usually invades the lungs.

maximum upper limit: an amount set by the government as the recommended maximum levels of a substance to be taken with the intention of eliminating the possibility of any negative health effects.

ultraviolet A (UVA): long rays from the sun and they do not cause sunburn but they penetrate more deeply into your skin and contribute to premature aging, discoloration, and wrinkles.

ultraviolet B (UVB): the rays responsible for turning skin red and causing sunburn. When UVB rays hit the skin, they launch the production of Vitamin D.

vitamin D: a substance produced naturally in the body when skin is exposed to UVB rays. Vitamin D has been associated with the functioning of organs, tissues, and bones as well as the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

vitamin D2: see ergocalciferol.

vitamin D3: see cholecalciferol.

vitamin D level: see blood level.

vitamin D receptor (VDR): most tissues and organs in the body have vitamin D receptors giving them the ability to metabolize 25D into activated Vitamin D.

7-dehydrocholesterol: a type of cholesterol in the skin that responds to UVB radiation when the sun hits the skin. It is synthesized into pre-vitamin D3 but in not the activated form of Vitamin D.

Children’s diseases like autism, asthma, and juvenile diabetes have become pervasive in the years that we have been told to avoid the sun. Vitamin D deficiency has come to be suspected to have an association with these diseases in children.

The chart prepared by Cedric Garland Ph.D. and Carole Baggerly of the Grassroots Heath shows a summary of what the statistical studies have shown for the possibility of higher levels to reduce disease. There is one typographical error on this chart which is the reduction for breast cancer is 50% not 83% as written on the chart.

Legend:
All percentages reference a common baseline of 25 ng/ml as shown on the chart.
%’s reflect the disease prevention % at the beginning and ending of available data. Example: Breast cancer incidence is reduced by 30% when the serum level is
34 ng/ml vs the baseline of 25 ng/ml. There is an 83% reduction in incidence when the serum level is 50 ng/ml vs the baseline of 25 ng/ml.
The x’s in the bars indicate ‘reasonable extrapolations’ from the data but are beyond existing data.
References:
All Cancers: Lappe JM, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85:1586-91. Breast: Garland CF, Gorham ED, Mohr SB, Grant WB, Garland FC. Breast cancer risk according
to serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D: Meta-analysis of Dose-Response (abstract).American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, 2008. Reference serum 25(OH)D was 5 ng/ml. Garland, CF, et al. Amer Assoc Cancer Research Annual Mtg, April 2008,. Colon: Gorham ED, et al. Am J Prev Med. 2007;32:210-6. Diabetes: Hyppönen E, et al. Lancet 2001;358:1500-3. Endometrium: Mohr SB, et al. Prev Med. 2007;45:323-4. Falls: Broe KE, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007;55:234-9. Fractures: Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. JAMA. 2005;293:2257-64. Heart Attack: Giovannucci et al. Arch Intern Med/Vol 168 (No 11) June 9, 2008. Multiple Sclerosis: Munger KL, et al. JAMA. 2006;296:2832-8. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Purdue MP, et al. Cancer Causes Control. 2007;18:989-99. Ovary: Tworoger SS, et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16:783-8. Renal: Mohr SB, et al. Int J Cancer. 2006;119:2705-9. Rickets: Arnaud SB,

Vitamin D was named a vitamin in 1920 when a researcher raised dogs without any exposure to sunlight. He fed fish liver oil to dogs and prevented rickets. The researcher assumed that the substance responsible for preventing rickets was in the fish liver oil—and not producible by the body. He named this essential nutrient a vitamin. It was four years later when other researchers found that Vitamin D was produced in the body when exposed to sunlight. So to call Vitamin D a vitamin is a misnomer but for the benefit of public health and nutrition, as well as its name’s long tradition, Vitamin D is still officially called a “vitamin.”

How Do we Get our Vitamin D?

Step One—Sun hits your skin   It all begins when the skin is exposed to the sun. The UVB light in the sun interfaces with a form of cholesterol in your skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol, and this substance is synthesized into pre-vitamin D3. The pre-vitamin D3 immediately converts into Vitamin D3. This is the Vitamin D that circulates through the body, but it still isn’t empowered into its activated form.

Vitamin D3 is made in large quantities when you are in the sun during peak UV times. In fact it is estimated that 30 minutes in the sun in a bathing suit, midday in summer can make up to 20,000 IU of Vitamin D. If you get too much sun, the skin is able to convert the excess Vitamin D to other inactive molecules. In this way the body does not get overdosed with Vitamin D from sun exposure.

For my patients who don’t get enough sun, I advise them to take Vitamin D as a supplement, in carefully selected dosages.

Step Two—Vitamin D3 becomes 25D   The Vitamin D3, either from sun or supplement makes its way to the liver where it undergoes a process (hydroxylation) turning it into 25D to store in your body. Having optimal stores of 25D in your body is very important, as these stores will enhance your body’s ability to make the best use of Vitamin D’s capabilities. If your body does not store enough Vitamin D in the form of 25D, then you will have low or deficient levels of Vitamin D in the blood. Ideally your Vitamin D levels should be optimal.

Step Three—25D becomes 1,25D3   The first priority for the health of your body is to send 25D from your liver to the kidneys where it is transformed into 1,25D3. 1,25D3 is the active and potent form of Vitamin D. As 1,25D3 this form of Vitamin D has the job of circulating in your blood to ensure that you maintain appropriate levels of calcium. This function of 1,25D3 is vital to our health—so much so that scientists didn’t expect it to have other functions.

In 1970, Vitamin D researcher Michael Holick and his colleagues discovered that the kidneys were not the only place in the body where 25D was metabolized into the potent and vital substance 1,25D3. When your body has enough stores of 25D, and has maintained the proper functioning of calcium levels in the blood, something exciting happens to the “excess” 25D.

It is only in the last ten years that scientists have come to understand this newfound function of the 25D form of Vitamin D. They have discovered that most tissues and cells of the body have the ability to metabolize 25D from the liver and turn it into 1,25D3. When researchers discovered these extra steps in the metabolizing of Vitamin D, they realized that many organs, tissues, and cells in the body have receptors for Vitamin D.

This means that Vitamin D circulates throughout the body and has the ability to land, and affect the cells, tissues, and organs that receive the Vitamin D. It is the only substance of its kind in the body and researchers are finding that Vitamin D has many repair and maintenance functions in most tissues and cells. Vitamin D isn’t just about healthy bones anymore.

It is this new fact about the 1,25D3 form of Vitamin D that has researchers so excited. According to Dr. John Cannell, director of the Vitamin D Council, 1,25D3 affects more than 200 genes in the body and can be found in most tissues in the body. He states on his Website, "This explains why the same substance may have a role in preventing cancer, influenza, autism, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and cardiovascular disease, not just curing rickets and osteomalacia."

Vitamin D From Food

Some health experts and nutritionists insist that we can get access to sufficient supplies of Vitamin D from eating food rich in Vitamin D.

A plethora of press releases have alerted the world about the health implications of Vitamin D deficiency. Reporters are interpreting the findings, and interviewing doctors, nutritionists and health professionals for their opinions regarding the veracity of the scientific findings. Laypersons are voicing their opinions through their blogs and comments on Websites. While it is interesting to read people’s varying voices of reason, it only creates confusion for the average person who is looking for solid information upon which to base their health decisions

There is much conflicting information about the presence of Vitamin D in food. Some avid proponents of healthy eating cling to the belief that all of our nutrition can come from eating a balanced and healthy diet. While this ideal is admirable, there are a few considerations about diet that remain a fact for most North Americans.

You can’t eat enough fish, eggs or mushrooms to get adequate—let alone optimal Vitamin D

1. If ‘food experts’ don’t know that the Vitamin D content in food is inadequate to reap health benefits, how can the average person be expected to know about the Vitamin D content in food?
2. Most people do not eat healthy balanced diets and will never achieve adequate Vitamin D levels from diet alone.
3. There simply are not enough foods that naturally contain enough Vitamin D to raise your blood levels of Vitamin D to an optimal level.
4. Foods fortified with Vitamin D do not contain uniform amounts of the substance and may not contain the amount of Vitamin D reported on the packaging.

What have I been doing?

It has been many months since my last newsletter mostly because I have been focusing on my vitamin D project. As most of you know my book The Vitamin D Revolution has been available for about eight months now. In addition the at-home vitamin D test kits and my pharmaceutical quality vitamin D capsules are also now available.

I am happy to announce thatI have just released a DVD of my book! In this DVD I give a slide show lecture about vitamin D. The DVD is a little over an hour and it lets the viewer learn the salient points that I make in my book about vitamin D in a short time. In this new age of computers and digital media, I have come to realize a lot of people, especially young people, do not read books! They like to watch them or listen to them! It was for this reason that I prepared this DVD. The DVD is available for purchase here, and we will have it at special holiday prices for sale in my office until the end of the year.

I have been during many radio interviews and giving live lectures about vitamin D. Any suggestions or recommendations from you, my patients and friends, to help promote my vitamin D project would be most appreciated.

Purchase the DVD

Order the Vitamin D Revolution Book, test kit or Vitamin-D capsules